Flying Food and Examinations
by Jesus' girl 4ever
Summary: Tauriel comes up with an unorthodox way of cheering Legolas up...
**Flying Food and Examinations**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

Legolas sighed for the fifth time, picking at his food without eating any of it.

Tauriel glanced up at her friend, worried. He hadn't spoken five words that evening, ever since he had failed an examination earlier that day and his- no, their (she was still getting used to calling King Thranduil her father) father had shouted at him. Even now, Thranduil had not spoken to his son. Tauriel just wanted to help her brother; he had, after all, welcomed her with open arms when her parents had been murdered by orcs. " _Ada_?" she asked softly, knowing Legolas wasn't really listening anyway.

"Yes, Tauriel?" he asked.

"Are you really angry with Legolas?"

"No, child, I am not. I should not have made him think so earlier. However, the damage appears to be done."

She grinned. "Then may I do something rather unorthodox but that might cheer him up?"

"I suppose, _pinig_ , as long as it is not dangerous."

"Dangerous? No. Messy? Yes." With those words, she broke off a small piece of bread and flung it at her brother. He simply batted it away without looking up. She huffed and grabbed a spoonful of carrots and lobbed them at him.

His head shot up. " _Posto,_ Tauriel!"

Before she flung her next projectile, she quickly glanced at Thranduil to ascertain whether or not she would be allowed to continue with her plan. Since his shoulders appeared to be shaking in concealed mirth, she decided that she could go ahead and toss her peas at Legolas, as well (and those she was very happy to give up, unlike her bread and carrots).

" _Baw_!" her brother shouted, finally giving her the glare she had been expecting for several minutes.

She lifted her eyebrow, as if to say, _Make me_.

Suddenly, a glob of mashed potatoes hit the side of Legolas's head. As Legolas had been glaring at Tauriel, he knew that it hadn't come from her, so he turned his gaze to the only other occupant of the table. " _Ada_?"

Thranduil merely smiled at his son.

Legolas's eyes took a determined glint. "Oh, _savo chûr an dagor_."

" _No guin i phing dhîn_ , Tauriel!" Thranduil declared, readying his own weapon (a.k.a. a spoonful of carrots).

Her grin widened as she gathered up some of her own mashed potatoes. " _Sevig chûr_?"

Legolas launched some of his peas at his father, with a follow-up assault to Tauriel. She responded by flinging her potatoes into his face. He wiped his eyes clear in time to have some of his father's carrots stick to the remainder of the potatoes. "Two against one is not quite fair, you know!"

"Hmm…I suppose you are correct, _ionneg._ " With that, Thranduil commenced an attack against both his children.

" _Ada_! You were supposed to be on my side!" Tauriel shrieked as she slapped a hand over the large splat of potatoes in her hair.

Thranduil just laughed. " _Iellig_ , I never agreed to that."

Tauriel groaned and threw her peas at him. For several minutes, the only sounds heard in the room were the flying of food and the laughter of the Elves. Finally, Thranduil said, "All right, elfings, I do believe that we have wasted enough food for tonight. Come now, let us clean up."

"Yes, _Ada_ ," they chorused. Both stood up and went to follow their father to their rooms. All three were in various states of disarray, with mashed potatoes, carrots, and peas (with a few crumbs of bread stuck randomly about for good measure). Legolas started giggling. "You know, _Ada_ , you don't look all that imposing right now."

"I'm certain I do not, _ionneg_."

"You don't look much better, _toreg_ ," Tauriel put in. "And I know I don't either, so you needn't bother pointing it out."

Legolas simply smiled and leaned his head against his father's side. "You aren't mad at me anymore, are you, _Ada_?"

"I never was angry with you, Legolas. I should never have made you think so." In a surprising display of affection, he hugged his son tightly, drawing his adopted daughter into the embrace after a few moments. "Now, come! We will clean up, and then, Legolas, I will help you study for your examination."

Legolas furrowed his brow. "But… _Ada_ , I already took it…and I failed it…remember?"

"Yes, _ionneg_ , I remember. However, I also know that I convinced your tutor to allow you to retake it tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Yes. So, we will all clean ourselves up, and then you and I will review the material you do not understand."

" _Ci athe, Ada_!"

" _I 'ell nîn_ , Legolas."

"Um, _Ada_?"

"Yes, Tauriel?"

"Would you help me study for my examination tomorrow, too?"

"But of course, _pinig_." The three left the room, messy but happy.

After about a half an hour, the three were in Legolas's room, bundled up in his bed, Thranduil between his two children. He demonstrated the math that Tauriel was struggling with before turning and explaining the history Legolas couldn't grasp. Finally, after an hour of this sort of thing, the two believed that they were ready to take their examinations. Thranduil then escorted his daughter to her room, tucked her in, and finally retired himself.

And if the next morning, he found two or three more peas hidden in his hair, he never mention it.

All that concerned him was the two happy elfings who had passed their tests with flying colors (although he did tell Tauriel to attempt to limit the number of food fights she started).

Translations (all gathered from real elvish . net):

 _Ada_ : Daddy

 _Pinig_ : little one

 _Posto_ : Stop that!

 _Baw_!: Don't!

 _Savo chûr an dagor_ : Be ready for battle (or, the closest thing I could find to, "It's on like Donkey Kong," as my dad says, in Elvish.)

 _No guin i phing dhîn!_ : Get ready to shoot!

 _Sevig chûr?_ : Are you ready?

 _Ionneg:_ my son

 _Iellig:_ my daughter

 _Ci athe_ : Thank you

 _I 'ell nîn_ : It is my pleasure


End file.
